FAERIE TALE
by erin boriiss
Summary: This is a Ranma 12 fanfic with a Peter Pan influence! A strange boy flies up to Akane Tendou's window one fateful night... Please read! COMPLETED (i had to make some minor corrections in chapter 1)
1. Faerie Tale

Disclaimer: The characters of Ranma ½ belong to Rumiko Takahashi. The original plot of the children's story Peter Pan belongs to JM Barrie.  
  
Please review this story! It's been a long time since I thought to make a fanfic on any anime, so I hope you enjoy this...  
  
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Chapter 1: Faerie Tale  
  
"Un-cute tomboy!"  
  
"Pervert!"  
  
Akane Tendou stuck out her tongue at Ranma Saotome, her fiancé. Ranma just glared at her.  
  
"You're acting that way just because you lost our match," Ranma said, smirking and looking disgusted at the same time. Akane gave him a look of indignation, turning red. It was the truth. She was acting fired up because she'd lost.  
  
"Idiot!" she nearly shouted, whirling on her heel and proceeding to stomp out of the dojo. Her gi was soaked with sweat. As much as she hated to admit it, her fights with Ranma really tested her stamina and ability to fight. Lately though, she'd been losing to him in everything that the two of them competed in- gymnastics, volleyball, even martial arts. It hurt her to think that she'd been practicing her martial arts for so long, and she still lost to a half-man.  
  
"Oh, just grow up," Ranma shot at her, this time with the conceit of knowing he was right. "You'll never be able to defeat me! Just spend your time trying to find yourself a husband!"  
  
Akane didn't even look over his shoulder to glower at him. She'd been 'training' with him for a week already, and somehow, those training sessions evolved to fights. Though it was the truth, she just couldn't bring herself to admit that she had a long way to go before she could defeat him.  
  
Akane stomped out of the dojo, and immediately bumped into Nabiki Tendou, who had been carrying a plate of snacks. The Japanese rice cakes fell to the floor without a sound. An instant later, the porcelain plate shattered as it landed.  
  
"Hm," Nabiki said disapprovingly. "I was supposed to sell these to you and Ranma. I thought you guys were getting hungry."  
  
Akane directed her angry gaze to her sister.  
  
"Well, we're done practicing!" she hissed, then made to sidestep her sister.  
  
"Are you angry about losing again?" Nabiki asked in her nonchalant voice. Nabiki grimaced, and for a rare moment, became the real sister that she was. "Losing is a part of growing up, you know."  
  
Akane's look of anger slowly burned to rage.  
  
"We were only practicing!" she hissed, her eyes shooting sparks. "Nobody wins or loses when you're practicing!"  
  
Nabiki looked at her skeptically. Sweat rolled off Akane's forehead. She was breathing heavily from exertion, and her shoulders were hunched in fatigue.  
  
"Oh, Nabiki," Ranma said, appearing at the entrance of the dojo. Akane stormed away from the scene.  
  
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The young boy flew through the air, far from all things he considered ugly and ordinary. In other words, he was flying away from Everland for the night to look in on someone. The chilly Tokyo air made him shiver, and for a moment, he reconsidered what he was doing.  
  
He stopped midair, literally freezing because of the wind, and he looked down on the city. It was a huge metropolitan area, with cement and marble and glass buildings. He stared on with distaste. He very much preferred his underground home.  
  
For a moment, he considered turning back to go to Everland. But the thought of the special girl stopped him from turning back. Making up his mind, he flew on.  
  
============================================  
  
Akane Tendou stormed into her room. She'd just come from the dining room, where her father and Mr. Saotome were discussing her marriage to Ranma. She looked at the familiar setting of her room, and felt sorely out of place. Not for the first time, she wished that she were somewhere else.  
  
She was changing into her pajamas, when suddenly her bedroom door opened, and P-Chan came in. He was a black piglet with a bright yellow bandanna around his neck. Akane sat on the bed with her arms outstretched, and he readily jumped into her arms.  
  
Akane stroked his thin layer of black fur, and he pushed his nose into her palm. Suddenly overwhelmed, she started to cry. She held P-Chan close to her chest and let the tears flow silently.  
  
She was engaged to someone who hated her guts, she was losing the title of strongest person in her school, her father was pressuring her to tie the knot, and her sisters were acting like it was all the most ordinary thing in the world.  
  
"I wish I were somewhere else," she whispered mostly to herself rather than to him. P-Chan looked up at her with large liquid eyes. Her tears fell unchecked. She reached out and absently switched the night lamp off. Then she fell back into bed, exhausted.  
  
============================================  
  
The latch of the window clicked, and was unlocked. It slowly slid open... And in the window frame crouched an agile young boy, who was barely out of adolescence. He stared in admiringly at the girl sleeping silently on the bed.  
  
A small person buzzed around him like a little fly. She was a fairy, as small as the palm of his hand, and as protective as a mother bear. The boy waved the fairy away impatiently.  
  
The girl on the bed gave a sigh. With a sudden burst of courage, the young man floated into the room and stopped to stand beside her bed. Her body was facing him with her eyes closed. As he took a closer look, he realized that her breathing was still irregular, and that she, in fact, wasn't sleeping.  
  
She was just lying down with her eyes closed. He took a step back, and the floorboard creaked. The girl's eyes flew open.  
  
Akane Tendou stared at the apparition before her in shock. It was a young boy who seemed to come right out of the caveman era... His gold-brown hair fell in a careless fashion over his forehead and eyebrows, and his eyes were a luminous shade of blue-green. He was clearly a young man, but there was still something mischievous and immature about him.  
  
After staring at each other for a while, Akane made a move to scream. The boy jumped into the air...Akane waited for him to fall back down. Instead, he continued moving higher into the air with surprising speed, until his head hit the ceiling.  
  
"You can fly!" Akane exclaimed after her initial shock. She jumped out of bed and took a fighting stance. "I don't know why you're here, but you better get out or else!"  
  
The boy looked at her incredulously. Then he saw the fire in her eyes and the offensive pose, and his hand flew to the dirk at his side. It was a blade that was slightly shorter than a dagger but longer than a knife. It was light and easy to conceal, so he often carried it around.  
  
He remained in the air. From behind her, she heard P-Chan yapping furiously.  
  
Akane stepped backward onto her bed to elevate herself a bit. The boy was still floating, and it wouldn't do her any good to be on unequal footing.  
  
"Who are you?" she asked. 'And what are you wearing?' she wanted to shriek, but didn't. He appeared to be wearing some sort of yeti costume. A thick layer of bear hide went across one shoulder and into his waistband. It was laden with several green vines and flowers and nuts. He appeared to be sporting a...how do you call it...short SKIRT made of the same bear hide and vine decorations.  
  
His brown leather ankle boots had no sole and made no noise whatsoever.  
  
He looked at her suspiciously, his hand tightening at his side.  
  
"Who are YOU?" he shot back uncertainly. The corner of his mouth moved to make a tentative friendly smile. Akane braced herself to attack.  
  
"Akane Tendou, heir of the Tendou Dojo Style of Martial Arts! What's your name?"  
  
The boy floated to the carpeted floor and backed up to the direction of the door. Akane jumped from the bed and went to the opposite side of the room. P-Chan was now yelping furiously.  
  
"Peter," he said. "Pan." He crossed his arms across his chest, then resumed his position with his hand to his dagger.  
  
Akane simply stared at him. Peter Pan was the name of the magical character that flew into Wendy Darling's window and took her to Neverland. He didn't exist in real life. This boy was clearly insane.  
  
"Oh," she said sarcastically, going back to guarded position. "And you're supposed to come from Neverland, too?"  
  
Peter frowned. "It's EVERland."  
  
Akane was stupefied, ten slowly lowered her arms. Her thoughts went back to her problems and her wish to escape from them all. Peter saw her loosening up, and his arms fell to his side.  
  
============================================  
  
P-Chan, who was watching the whole exchange, realized that his squealing wasn't doing anyone any good. There was nothing he could do while he was in piglet form. He was on the bed, trying to shout threats to the boy who called himself Peter Pan, but all that came out were pathetic whines.  
  
Finally, when he saw that Akane was letting down her guard and that Peter Pan was also letting down his own guard, he realized that he had to do something before Peter took advantage of the situation.  
  
He saw that Peter was blocking the doorway, so without thinking twice about it, he jumped on Akane's table. He ignored the bright yellow being that sat perched on the table and jumped out the window. He landed deftly on the grass below the balcony. He turned to run into the interior of the house and up the stairs, in the hopes of waking Ranma.  
  
============================================  
  
"Come back here!" Akane fairly hissed as she watched Peter climb on the windowsill. Peter looked back at her in surprise.  
  
"But I have to tell my friends about Cinderella," he said, as if it were an excuse. He paused. "I live with my friends. They're the Lost Friends."  
  
Akane had been sitting on the bed. He'd asked her to tell him the story of the girl who lost her glass slipper. She'd told him the story of Cinderella, and now, it looked like he was about to leave. But if he were the real Peter, he would have to take her to Everland.  
  
She thought about her problems, and suddenly grew desperate for him to take her far away.  
  
"But I know lots of stories," she said hesitantly. "Stories I could tell your friends."  
  
Peter looked at her, enchanted by her earnest appeal.  
  
"Come with me," he said without hesitation. He felt Tink, his fairy, suddenly fly to his ear in warning. He swatted her away. He took a step closer to Akane.  
  
Akane looked at him, and all she saw was freedom and adventure. She imagined a lush environment where she could escape from her current problems. She took a step forward, and suddenly; the first real problem came up.  
  
"I don't know how to fly," she said. She said it breathlessly and a little off-sounding, as if she just realized it.  
  
Peter grinned.  
  
"No problem," he said, grinning charmingly. "You just think happy thoughts! Then you leap into the air!" He jumped back into the air, and twisted and twirled about or something, and ended up sitting on the ceiling upside down.  
  
Akane started, looking up at him.  
  
"Happy thoughts..." she murmured. "I got it!" she said loudly, more to motivate herself than anything else. "I got it!" she stood up on one end of the bed, and tried to think about her friends and family...  
  
She began to smile and ran to the edge of the bed. But just before she stepped over the edge, she remembered Ranma, and instantly began to fall. Peter saw this, and he quickly grabbed Tinkerbell, and showered the fairy dust on her. Akane began to float.  
  
She levitated uncertainly, the tingly feeling making her light- headed. She frowned apprehensively, and then swan backwards in the air...she gave a kick midair...  
  
She looked at Peter. He looked at Akane. Simultaneously, the two of them broke into smiles. Tink flew out of the window first. Peter hopped out the window and stood on the narrow ledge. Akane climbed out onto the ledge beside him. They stood side by side...  
  
Peter floated gracefully into the sky. Then he slowly turned around in mid-air... held out his hand beckoningly to Akane...  
  
============================================  
  
"Why are you here, Ryoga?!" Ranma said angrily, then threw P-Chan out of his bed. P-Chan flew against the side of the slightly open shoji door.  
  
P-Chan came bolting back with a vengeance. His small piglet body hit Ranma straight away in the forehead. This brought Ranma out of his groggy state.  
  
"What?!" Ranma snapped, running a hand on his now red forehead. He sat up in bed. He looked to his left and saw that his father was taking up some of his side of the futon. Ranma shoved his father back into to the other side of the futon. Ranma glared at P-Chan. P-Chan was still yelping.  
  
"I thought you were with Akane," Ranma snapped again, holding the poor piglet by his fur. Ryoga held the impulse to spit on his rival. At the mention of Akane's name, Ryoga's excitement increased, and he started yelping with twice more energy.  
  
Ranma's eyes widened.  
  
============================================  
  
Akane Tendou looked at the boy floating in front of her. It was such a strange image, a strange boy floating against the backdrop of modern Tokyo at night. Far behind him, the moon shimmered. It was strange. It was strangely enchanting.  
  
Akane longed to escape from the crazy world she'd been forced to live in, but somehow...she hesitated, then looked over her shoulder to her window. Through the glass, she could see the room she'd lived in for almost all of her sixteen years. It wasn't too late...  
  
Peter sensed her hesitation. He floated closer, until his face was in line to Akane's ear. Such in a state of confusion Akane was in that she didn't really notice. She just stared over his tanned shoulder straight to the moon and tried to get her thoughts in order.  
  
"Forget this place, Akane," he said imploringly. "Forget it all. Come with me, where you'll never, NEVER have to worry about anything again."  
  
He floated backwards again to look at her. Akane's head went up. Their eyes met.  
  
"Never," she said. "Is a VERY long time."  
  
Peter's face broke into a beautiful slow smile...  
  
Akane's felt her own lips pull at the corners to form a smile of her own. She didn't hear her bedroom door crash open behind her. Peter didn't hear it either. He was too busy staring at Akane.  
  
"Come with me to Everland," he said. Akane floated into the air...  
  
And saw that her ankle was being held by a very unwelcome person: Ranma Saotome.  
  
"Akane!" he yelled. "What are you doing?!"  
  
"Let go of my foot!" Akane shouted back. Peter could only stare, dumbfounded. The lovely moment had been ruined completely.  
  
Ranma clamored out of the windowsill, and he momentarily let go of Akane's foot. Taking the opportunity, Akane jetted away from the ledge. She grabbed Peter and dragged him to a point around ten feet away, so that Ranma couldn't tackle either one of them.  
  
"Akane-!" Ranma said, more out of surprise than anything else. "You're...flying."  
  
Then Ranma took notice of the strange young boy standing beside his fiancé. Ranma's raised an eyebrow at the strange apparel.  
  
"Hi, I'm Peter Pan," the boy said in a friendly way. "I taught Akane how to fly."  
  
Akane looked at Peter sharply and realized that Peter had a very friendly streak.  
  
"You shouldn't have told him that!" she said to him angrily. She made a move to float away further. "Let's go!"  
  
Peter looked at her, then at Ranma. "Okay."  
  
Ranma was left there, standing on the ledge, looking like a fool. There was nothing he could do about Akane leaving. She was flying, for goodness sakes.  
  
"How?" he shouted suddenly to Peter. "How do you fly?!"  
  
His own words sounded crazy to him, as they went against everything he was taught in Physics class. But Peter didn't seem to know this. He turned straight away, taking the bait. He flashed a charming smile at Ranma, who withered.  
  
"You just think happy thoughts!" Akane exclaimed, very sarcastically. "They leap you into the air!" 'Actually, the correct answer is you need fairy dust,' Akane thought in her mind.  
  
Ranma looked at her skeptically, then looked at Peter. He nodded.  
  
"Happy thoughts..." Ranma said. He was deep in thought for a moment, then he snapped his fingers. "I got it!" he said. He braced himself. "Martial Arts! China! Being a full man again!"  
  
He leaped into the air-! And he was floating. He hovered to a point just beyond the windowsill uncertainly. Then he grinned. Akane was dumbfounded. All she did was stare in annoyance as Ranma floated up to her and Peter.  
  
"Akane, you're not thinking straight," Ranma said when they were face to face in the air. That was actually the understatement of the year. Leaving in the middle of the night on a boy's whim was more than not thinking straight. It was insane.  
  
"I'll let you win tomorrow," Ranma said, thinking this was the best bribe he could offer.  
  
'Wrong move,' Akane thought as she felt her face cloud in rage. She gritted her teeth, and when she opened her mouth, out came a stream of un- happy thoughts.  
  
"Idiot!" she said to him. "Pervert!"  
  
Ranma frowned as his happy thoughts started to cloud over. Akane glared at him.  
  
"H-Hey..." he started.  
  
Peter, ever helpful, looked concerned.  
  
"Akane," said he. "What are you doing? Here," he said to Ranma. "Grab my hand."  
  
The golden-haired boy made a move towards Ranma. Akane felt herself start to get desperate. She didn't want it to come to this, but she had no other choice, apparently.  
  
"Girl form!" she said loud enough only for Ranma to hear. That was the last straw. Ranma fell.  
  
"Uncute tomboy!" He said back as he fell backwards. "I don't care if you leave!"  
  
Ranma was already in position to land on the ground in such a way that he wouldn't hurt himself. Peter had other thoughts. He was quite a quick young lad, and he'd grabbed Tink in mid-air when Ranma started to fall. He zoomed towards Ranma and sprinkled the magical dust. Ranma stopped falling and began to float. He looked amazed.  
  
"Hmph," was all Akane could say. She crossed her arms and looked away.  
  
Ranma glared at her and looked away.  
  
Peter looked at both and grinned.  
  
"So where do we go?" Akane asked Peter, pointedly ignoring Ranma. Peter turned to the moon.  
  
"Second to the right and straight on till morning," he said. "Follow me to Everland!"  
  
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END OF CHAPTER ONE  
  
PLEASE REVIEW MY WORK AFTER EVERY CHAPTER IF POSSIBLE SO THAT I CAN IMPROVE IT. IT WOULD MEAN A LOT TO ME IF YOU'D TAKE TIME TO COMMENT ON MY WORK. YOU CAN ALSO E-MAIL ME PERSONALLY IF YOU WANT...  
  
AT: tsinoyeyesyahoo.com 


	2. Welcome to Everland

Disclaimer: The characters of Ranma ½ belong to Rumiko Takahashi. The original plot of the children's story Peter Pan belongs to JM Barrie.  
  
Please review this story! It's been a long time since I thought to make a fanfic on any anime, so I hope you enjoy this...  
  
============================================  
  
"Hook," Peter Pan said as the three of them lay on the cloud and stared at the ship in the distance. He was looking through a foldable telescope.  
  
"Who?" Akane Tendou asked. She grabbed his telescope and looked through the lens. She saw the large wooden ship with a mermaid carving at the bowsprit. The sails were up, and the small crew of about four seemed to be busy scurrying about. Her gaze went to the lower right part of the ship, and saw that a man with long black curls and a red suit was looking straight at her with his own telescope.  
  
Akane drew back in surprise. Ranma Saotome, who'd been leaning back on the cloud with his head on his arms, didn't seem very much interested.  
  
"Look out!" Peter suddenly shouted, and he pushed Akane away from him, towards Ranma. Ranma's neck snapped in her direction in surprise. A split second later, a cannonball came hurtling through the cloud, coming through the place where Akane had been earlier.  
  
The force of the impact blew much of the cloud away, and Akane as well. She went flying off into the sky. She heard Ranma shout out her name, but she'd lost sight of him.  
  
Ranma started to jump off the cloud to catch Akane. His foot started to use the cloud as leverage...But the soft cottony substance gave way under his foot before he could leave. He stumbled, and fell. His hand grabbed the only shred of cloud that he could hold on to. Peter seemed unconcerned about Ranma.  
  
"Go check on Akane," he said quickly to Tink, who was (as always) just beside him. He looked down on Ranma.  
  
"Just think happy thoughts," he said seriously. He put a hand up in a wave. "And leave Hook to me!"  
  
And just like that, Peter hurtled himself through the air and was on his way to the boat. Several more cannonballs were launched at him, but he dodged them all with amazing speed. Hook was glowering at Peter by the time he neared the sails.  
  
"You can't even aim properly!" He was screaming at his crew. "He's there-no there! Oh just give that to me!"  
  
Peter grinned mischievously as Hook stomped behind the cannon and aimed directly at Peter. Peter in turn flew directly behind the lower-main topsail. Like a dumb codfish, Hook readjusted his aim. The crew didn't dare speak. Hook fired in rage, and Peter shot away from the ship. There was general silence as the cannonball hit its mark. Hook stared at the splintered mainmast, which was now falling onto the foremast. Then he whirled on his crew.  
  
"You fools!" he shrieked. "It's all your fault!"  
  
============================================  
  
Ranma looked down and saw the tiny island, which lay several miles below him. He considered just letting go of the cloud, but before he could do anything, the cloud bit broke off from the bigger part of the cloud. Ranma fell through the air straight towards the ocean surrounding the island.  
  
============================================  
  
Tink was pointing to the small cluster of trees. There. There. Akane Tendou nodded to show that she understood. She started to float towards the cluster. Tink flew in ahead to warn the Lost Friends not to shoot or do anything stupid.  
  
"It's a large yellow bird," said the young woman holding the telescope. She was wearing a straight cut blue suit, very similar to the school uniform for males in the Furinkan High School. Her long brown hair came to a point just below her waist. A strap held a large spatula across her back.  
  
"Ukyoe," came the whiny voice of another girl. "Let me see through it." The one who'd just spoken was another young woman of Eastern origin, wearing something that was strikingly similar to that of the Chinese costumes back on Earth.  
  
"Okay," Ukyoe said, handing the telescope to the Shampooe. Shampooe looked through the telescope at the bird; floating nearer...It certainly was a ghastly bird. Suddenly her vision was overcome by a bright yellow glare. Shampooe drew back, startled. For a moment, the Lost Friends stared at the bright yellow person before them.  
  
"Tink!" Shampooe said, breaking the silence. "Get away from me!" Shampooe started waving her hand in the air in the same manner a person would to get rid of a fly.  
  
"Why does Tink always have to be around us?" came the complaint of the small twins, Yine and Yange. They were miniature replicas of Shampooe.  
  
"Oh, look! The bird is coming nearer!" Ukyoe said, pointing to the sky. Sure enough, the yellow bird was coming closer, flapping her wings awkwardly. Alarmed, Tink paused in her buzzing around.  
  
"Moussee," Shampooe said to the young man beside her. "Shoot the bird down, will you?"  
  
"Sure thing!" Moussee readied his supply of barnacles and chains. 'Yes, anything for you, Shampooe,' he thought. Tink started buzzing around very furiously. She waved her arms and flapped her fairy dust all over the place. She flew right in front of Moussee's horrible vision and shook her head vigorously. No. No.  
  
"Oh for goodness sakes," Shampooe said in an annoyed manner as she grabbed Tink and threw the fairy to some far point in the forest. Moussee took careful aim; fired...The bird moved a little to the left...and was hit. All five Lost Friends cheered as the bird flapped her wings and raised her arms. Then the bird started to fall.  
  
The Lost Friends gave a hoot of pleasure.  
  
They ran across the path to the clearing where they were sure the bird had landed. And sure enough, there she was in the center. The thick foliage had broken her fall. They could only stare at the human shape on the ground.  
  
"That's not a bird..." Yine started.  
  
"It's a girl," Yange continued. The five of them came close and huddled closer together to the broken figure. Her body was curled in a loose curve, as if she'd managed to somehow land on her feet and then collapse.  
  
The side of her left arm bled profusely. Moussee's little barnacle ball lay accusingly beside the bloody wound. Shampooe leaned in even closer to look at the wound. She looked concerned for a moment.  
  
"Moussee, your aim was off," Shampooe said. She pointed to Akane's forehead. "This is where you should have hit!"  
  
"Sorry Shampooe, sorry Shampooe," was all Moussee could say.  
  
"Don't you guys have any heart?" Ukyoe suddenly asked. She nudged Shampooe and Moussee aside, none too gently, and took a look at the wound. Ukyoe grimaced. It was bleeding still, and they were going to have to stop the bleeding before it got worse. The girl was already starting to pale.  
  
Ignoring the stares of her other companions, Ukyoe set to work.  
  
In a matter of seconds, her crude work was done.  
  
"Well, that's something," Shampooe said, wrinkling her nose. Ukyoe started to open her mouth to speak, when suddenly a familiar voice said from behind:  
  
"I know what happened to Cinderella!"  
  
Shampooe shot him a glare from over her shoulder. Peter hovered some feet away from them, smiling happily. Ukyoe continued tending to the wound. What was with Peter and Cinderella? Why'd he always have to drop from the sky all of a sudden?  
  
"I've brought you she who is to tell us stories!" Peter exclaimed, promptly losing his first thought to tell them what happened to Cinderella. He started hopping towards the Lost Friends and their little huddle, all the while bursting with joy.  
  
"She is pretty! She is amazing! She is-"  
  
"Bleeding to death," Ukyoe said grimly. Peter had come close enough to see that Akane was on the grassy area, a wound on her right arm bleeding. It had been covered with a tree leaf, and chains were wound around her arm and pajamas to hold the leaf in place.  
  
"Bring her to the hideaway," Peter said decisively. He and Mousee lifted Akane up, grunting at the weight. She was heavier than they'd thought. They moved towards the large tree.  
  
============================================  
  
"Great," Ranma muttered as he wandered through the thick forest. He was soaking wet, girl form. He was still wearing what he been wearing to sleep. The sleeveless undershirt and bright yellow shorts clung to his skin. It was a blessing that the climate was hot and humid. His thoughts were filled with concern for Akane. Ranma was grim.  
  
Ranma came across a clearing, and he stopped to consider his surroundings. Tropical trees and lush foliage all around surrounded him. There was no sign of a path at all. Ranma shifted his gaze to the far end of the clearing, and was surprised to see a tacky yellow tent held up. Ranma approached it cautiously.  
  
When he came nearer, he saw that a large copper kettle was heating merrily on a fire before the tent. With grim determination, Ranma approached quietly. He kept his body out of sight from the opening in the tent. When he reached close enough, he reached out slowly...  
  
His fingers curled around the black handle of the kettle...  
  
"Who goes there?!" A young man's voice suddenly came. It came from the opening of the tent. Ranma heard someone start to get out. With lightning speed, Ranma grabbed the kettle and poured the hot water all over himself. A young man appeared before Ranma's crouching form.  
  
"Who are you?" The young man asked. He had back hair and brown eyes. A yellow bandanna kept some hair out of his forehead. He had a yellow tunic, dark green pants for traveling. He bore a striking resemblance to someone Ranma knew back at the dojo...  
  
"Ranma Saotome," Ranma said. "Ryoga, what are you doing here?"  
  
Ranma got up from his position and was surprised to see Ryoga stiffen and raise his arms in alarm. Puzzled, Ranma raised his arms to show that he was not going to fight.  
  
"I'm Ryogae," the young man said. He relaxed. He started to head towards the tent entrance again.  
  
"What are you doing, camping in the middle of nowhere?" Ranma asked. Ryogae turned, looking indignant.  
  
"I got lost," he said resentfully. "I can't find the tree-house. Peter gave me a map, but... It's all wrong!"  
  
'I'll bet,' Ranma thought. He was reminded yet again of Ryoga Hibiki.  
  
"Do you mean Peter Pan? Let me see the map."  
  
Ryogae immediately fished a map out of his pocket and handed it to Ranma. Ranma felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand. It was a map drawn in a childish fashion so that even the most inexperienced travelers could find their way. There was the clearing where they were standing in at the moment. Great bold letters wrote: 'A FOREST CLEARING.'  
  
"We're standing here," Ryogae said helpfully. He pointed to a shaded area marked: 'SHORELINE.' Ranma bristled in annoyance. They were clearly not on the shore.  
  
"Come on, Ryogae," Ranma said. "I have to talk to Peter Pan as soon as possible."  
  
============================================  
  
As soon as Ryogae had pulled the straps of his backpack over his shoulders, Ranma set off running with amazing speed. If Ryogae were anything like Ryoga, then he'd be able to keep up with Ranma's pace. Sure enough, Ryogae followed steadily behind. He was even shouting at Ranma in the same manner familiar to Ranma.  
  
"Ranmaaaaa! Where are you taking my map?! Get back here!"  
  
Within a several minutes, Ranma had reached the entrance of the hideout. The hideout was a large tree, larger even than a maple tree. The leaves and branches forked into an umbrella all around the tree, providing a shade. Seconds later, Ryogae came up to him. Like Ranma, he hadn't even broken a sweat.  
  
"It's here," Ryogae said, seemingly in shock. He ran his hand over the tree trunk.  
  
"How do you get in?" Ranma asked impatiently. His arms were lightly covered with cuts he'd taken from waving away branches.  
  
Rygoae didn't answer, but pulled on a vine that was thicker and lighter colored than the other random vines hanging around. When Ranma looked, he saw that it was actually a thick rope twisted in such a way that it resembled a vine. A large root lifted up in the air, so Ranma had to step back. Then he braced himself and dived right in.  
  
"This can't be right," Ukyoe said anxiously. The strip of cloth hung loosely from the wound. Akane, breathing lightly but conscious, looked away in pain as Ukyoe pressed the cloth with her palm. Akane was lying on Ukyoe's bed. Shampooe sat on the bed beside her, looking on more with curiosity than concern. Moussee and the twins were cooking food.  
  
It was a large underground cave. There were six normal sized makeshift beds, made from animal skin on a raised platform of hard, packed dirt. They lined the right side of the cave. A large bed was on the farthest side, still made with the same animal skin and packed earth, but two skins instead of one were placed side by side. On the left side, there was a bonfire and some pots and pans.  
  
"Akane!" Ranma saw her as soon as he came out of the opening.  
  
Six pairs of eyes turned to him when he came in. They shifted to Ryogae when Ryogae entered.  
  
"Got lost again, Ryogae?" Peter asked jokingly. He'd been lounging on his large bed like a king. He held the boyish confidence that death was non- existent in the world, and that Akane was going to be all right for sure. "Everyone, that's Ranma."  
  
He pointed to Ranma using his four fingers. Ranma went straight away to where Akane and a young woman was tending to him. Ranma took one look at the ghastly wound and Akane's pasty face and felt his jaw go slack.  
  
"Here," he said, jumping to action. He practically shoved the young woman away and took a look at the wound.  
  
"Do you have more of these?" Ranma asked the young woman sharply. He didn't mean for the words to come out so severely. Though the young woman looked displeased, she set off right away.  
  
The other young woman sitting on the bed opposite to him was staring at him. Ranma looked up and recognized the same adoring expression of Shampoo back in Japan. The young woman smiled brightly at him.  
  
"I'm Shampooe," she said.  
  
"Get me some water," Ranma said. Shampooe didn't like being bossed around, but she went to get it anyway from the makeshift kitchen. Akane shifted her gaze to look at him.  
  
"Ranma," Akane whispered. She stared at his pale face and tried to give a small smile. He barely veiled concern made her look away from his gaze.  
  
'Hold my hand,' she thought to say. But she was not too tired to feel embarrassed or indignant, though she did want was a reassuring presence. Ukyoe hadn't been very calming at all.  
  
Ranma had been pressing her wound with both palms to stop the bleeding. The fact that the applied pressure was making her grimace made him feel better. She was still aware enough to feel pain.  
  
Akane raised her right arm slightly. Ranma grabbed her right hand automatically, and was taken aback at the cool feel. Akane gripped his hand as if it were the only source of security she had left. Somehow, she was comforted. His familiar presence was what she needed most at the moment.  
  
"Here they are," Ukyoe said, appearing at Ranma's side. He took the cloth strips. They were made of shredded clothing that had been washed previously.  
  
"Here's your water," Shampooe said, appearing before the bed.  
  
Ranma set to work on her arm.  
  
Ryogae, who'd just finished washing his face, came up to the bed. If a person could make someone as headstrong as Ranma anxious with worry, then he wanted to know whom it was. When he looked at the limp body on the hard bed, he was surprised. He took in the pale face, which looked away in pain as Ranma wrapped the cloth strips especially taut around the wound. She didn't seem so extraordinary.  
  
Ryogae could tell the two girls near him were impressed with the new visitor. With his left hand, he held the girl's hand, and with the right, he dressed the wound. He held the other end of the strip in his teeth. He did it all without breaking a sweat or looking like he was having a hard time.  
  
Ryogae let his gaze shift back to the girl. She had a fair complexion and hazel eyes. Her thick shiny black hair reached a point just below her ears. Ryogae felt his heart skip a beat, and then he told himself that he was being ridiculous.  
  
"Her ankle's twisted," Ryogae pointed out, suddenly noticing. The girl's right foot was swollen at the ankle. Ryogae had treated enough of his own twisted ankles to know what it looked like. For the first time, the girl noticed him. Her eyes flickered over him, and gave him a look of recognition though they'd never met each other.  
  
"She landed on her feet when she fell," Shampooe said helpfully.  
  
"Do something about it," Ranma said through his gritted teeth to Ryogae. "You know how, don't you?"  
  
Ryogae nodded. Ukyoe looked on with interest as Ryogae gripped the girl's ankle. Without blinking, he gave a sharp twist none too gently.  
  
Akane gritted her teeth and practically felt the enamel cracking at their bases. Her grip on Ranma's hand tightened. As a reflex to the sudden pain, her body made to shift to the left side of the bed. Ranma's iron grip kept her upper body in place, and Ryogae's iron grip on her right ankle kept her from giving him a kick in the face.  
  
Akane felt like a laboratory project. The circulation in her left arm was being cut off, and her right ankle felt like someone had just broken the bone. On top of that, the two guys' grips were preventing her from moving. There was a burning feeling in her ankle. She wanted to shake it away, but every time her foot moved even a little, the burning feeling intensified. Akane shut her eyes tightly before anyone would see the sudden stinging tears.  
  
"Geez, can't you be more gentle?" Ukyoe demanded as she looked at the Akane in concern. The girl had closed her eyes to prevent them from seeing her watery eyes, but she'd seen it. They'd all seen it.  
  
Ryogae took some of the strips from Ukyoe and began wrapping them around the girl's ankle. He was mildly surprised when he looked up and saw Ranma glowering at him.  
  
============================================  
  
Peter and the Lost Friends stood in a line. Across them a few feet away, Akane and Ranma stood. Akane was balancing herself on a long sturdy branch. Her right foot was wrapped tightly.  
  
"Moussee," said the guy with long hair and spiral glasses.  
  
"Shampooe," said the girl of Eastern descent.  
  
"Ukyoe," said the tomboyish one with long brown hair and a spatula.  
  
"Yine and Yange," said the two little twins simultaneously.  
  
"Ryogae," said the one with the spotted bandanna.  
  
"Peter Pan," said the boy with the yeti costume.  
  
Akane and Ranma introduced themselves. They were both trying to hide their surprise at the astounding resemblance between these people and the people they knew in Japan. Peter clapped his hands delightedly.  
  
"I'm glad to see you're alright," he told Akane. Akane smiled at him. Ranma held his annoyance in check. All Peter had done was lounge on his bed with the firm, ungrounded belief that Akane was going to be all right.  
  
They sat in a huge circle around a bonfire. It was already nighttime. The clearing was very large. All around them, the forest trees grew tall. Shampooe was all over Ranma. She had taken to calling him Ranma-chan. Ukyoe, clearly jealous, was also calling him Ranma-chan every single second.  
  
They were both vying for his attention by cooking pancakes and Chinese food and leaning in close to him. Ranma was more concerned about the sparks shooting from Akane.  
  
Akane was with Peter and Ryogae, telling them stories about modern day Japan and what it was like to live there. Ryogae listened intently, clearly smitten by her.  
  
Moussee and the twin girls were having fun on their own, dancing around the bonfire and belting out songs. It was a lovely first evening together as friends, and Peter prided himself as the leader, though nobody seemed to respect him as more than just a boy.  
  
Akane and Ranma slept with only a bear skin each from them and the ground. The Lost Friends seemed to accept them completely without reservation, as if they'd been friends all their life.  
  
Late that night, long after the last ember in the underground fireplace had died down, Akane lay on the bear hide with her arms at her sides, staring at the darkness. It was completely black in the cave, as no moonlight could even hope to find its way in. The lanterns had all died down long time ago.  
  
She was thinking about her family in the Tendou dojo. Maybe she'd never see them again. At the moment, that realization didn't seem so bad. She was quite fascinated where she was. She knew that Ranma was somewhere to her right. The fact that he was with her in Everland made a huge difference in her attitude.  
  
From her right, Ranma was staring straight up as well. His arms rested behind his head. For some reason he couldn't sleep. He vaguely heard Akane shift on her makeshift bed as she tried to find a more comfortable position.  
  
Akane was trying to sleep. But a guilty thought troubled her. Her thoughts kept going back to Ranma. Her eyes softened in the dark.  
  
"Ranma?" she suddenly whispered, turning her head slightly. 'He's sleeping,' Akane thought wearily. She continued to stare straight up. For a moment, she was tempted to wake him up just to say what she wanted to.  
  
"What?" Ranma whispered back so suddenly Akane gave a small jolt. She opened her mouth to speak, but suddenly she lost her nerve. Instead, she went for the first thought that came to her mind. She hesitated first as she thought.  
  
"Thanks for your work on my arm," she said quickly.  
  
Ranma made a grunt of recognition for her thanks. He wanted to ask her what was really on his mind. Her hesitation had given her away. But he didn't ask, and she didn't continue. He continued looking up in the darkness.  
  
Akane continued staring up, disliking herself for not saying what she'd meant to. After several minutes, she finally worked up her nerve.  
  
"Hey, Ranma," she said quietly. She made her voice deliberately low. If Ranma hadn't heard, then it would be enough for her to tell herself that at least she'd tried. She glanced to the darkness at her right. A few moments passed.  
  
"What?" Ranma said quietly back, imitating the lowness of her voice. Akane looked back at the ceiling as Ranma waited for her to answer.  
  
"Hey, Ranma," Akane said again. "Sorry you had to end up here in Everland because of me. I know you'd rather have stayed back at the dojo...Peter can arrange a fairy guide for you to go back..."  
  
Akane paused to listen if Ranma would reply. When he didn't, she went on.  
  
"I," she continued very softly, "can take care of myself. So if you want to return, then don't worry about me. I can take care of myself."  
  
"No, you can't," Ranma said before he could stop himself. There was deafening silence after that. Ranma started to sweat, sensing the argument before it actually began.  
  
"Yes I can," Akane huffed, her voice starting to rise. "I don't need you here!"  
  
"Don't think I'm here because of you," Ranma said, his voice still low. He was hoping she'd take the cue and lower her own voice.  
  
"Then go!" Akane hissed at him in the dark. She stuck out her tongue: "Bleh."  
  
"Go back to the dojo and leave me alone!"  
  
Ranma felt his annoyance start to bubble over.  
  
"You're not cute at all!"  
  
"Pervert!"  
  
With that she fell back into her bed and he fell back into his. They spent the rest of the night in silence.  
  
============================================  
  
END CHAPTER TWO  
  
PLEASE REVIEW MY WORK AFTER EVERY CHAPTER IF POSSIBLE SO THAT I CAN IMPROVE IT. IT WOULD MEAN A LOT TO ME IF YOU'D TAKE TIME TO COMMENT ON MY WORK. YOU CAN ALSO E-MAIL ME PERSONALLY IF YOU WANT...  
  
AT: tsinoyeyesyahoo.com 


	3. All Aboard the Jolly Roger

Disclaimer: The characters of Ranma ½ belong to Rumiko Takahashi. The original plot of the children's story Peter Pan belongs to JM Barrie.  
  
For this chapter, I used some influence from "The True Confession of Charlotte Doyle" by Avi. Don't sue me for plagiarism!  
  
Please review this story! It's been a long time since I thought to make a fanfic on any anime, so I hope you enjoy this...  
  
============================================  
  
"You're getting much better," Peter said approvingly. Akane turned and took another swing.  
  
"You think?" she asked eagerly. It had been a week since she'd arrived in Everland, and the wound on her arm had healed amazingly fast. Her ankle was no longer swollen at all. Peter had insisted that she learn how to use the dirk for the fun of it.  
  
Thus the two of them spent the days in forest clearings, Akane learning to swing the blade as fast as Peter did, and Peter learning to high kick as well as Akane did. Ranma, on the other hand, went dueling with Moussee and Ryogae. He also practiced escaping from Shampooe, who always tried to defeat him for some reason.  
  
Akane sidestepped as Peter made a swing at her with his sheathed dirk. Akane swung back and whirled around, bringing her dirk across her chest and toward him. They were both agile people. Peter ducked and while she hovered above him, he made a stab for her stomach. She twisted her body just in time, and while he was still reeling from the missed swing, she made to swing the dirk downwards.  
  
And so their friendly duels were very enjoyable. But Tink, jealous fairy that she was, couldn't stand to see her precious Peter Pan being smitten by some ordinary little girl. For the past week, she'd watched for the past week Peter drooling over Akane, and she was sick of it.  
  
And today, the friendly dirk game was the last straw. Tink felt her heart break as Peter laughed and came from above Akane. Why couldn't the she and Peter have the same dirk games? Never mind the obvious size difference. Tink finally made her decision and flew away from the clearing, unnoticed.  
  
============================================  
  
"Someone Pan cares about?" Hook asked eagerly. Shmee, his assistant, looked on with interest as he poured Hook a cup of brandy. Hook stroked his long curly black beard thoughtfully. Tink nodded eagerly.  
  
She flew again to go beside Hook's ear and whispered Akane Tendou's name.  
  
Hook leaned back on the cushioned chair and smirked at the idea of using this Akane Tendou as bait. The Jolly Roger swayed underneath his feet as he considered Tink's information. So she'd been thrown aside by Peter Pan, and now she wanted him to get rid of someone Peter clearly cared about.  
  
"But how do I get this Akane to come to me alone without Pan at her side?" Hook mused. Tink was prepared for this. She gave a devilish grin and leaned close...  
  
============================================  
  
"Where is it supposed to be?" Akane asked Tink, who flew near her. It was late in the evening, and Akane wanted to get back to the hideout, but Tink had insisted that Akane follow her and not tell anyone else.  
  
Finally, after what seemed like hours, Tink stopped mid-air and turned around, as if testing the air. Then she zoomed straight forward, past a line of trees, and was gone. Akane stepped forward tentatively, following where Tink had disappeared. The darkness of the forest made it hard for her to see her step, even with the lantern she carried.  
  
When she emerged from the line of trees, she saw a shoreline, and there, bobbing merrily with lanterns all over the deck, was the Jolly Roger. The mermaid bowsprit glowed from the moon's light. Everything Peter hand warned her about the ship now snapped to her attention. Tink flew a little closer, and Akane saw in horror the sneer that was on her face.  
  
Akane stepped back to try to flee into the forest, when an unseen blunt force hit her straight on the head. She fell to the sand, unconscious.  
  
============================================  
  
Ranma woke up in the middle of the night with a strange feeling at the pit of his stomach. Like always during the night, the cave was completely engulfed in darkness. He wondered for a moment what had been bothering him and then he realized that he wasn't sure if Akane had come back since the bonfire.  
  
She'd suddenly gone off to some point in the forest, and everyone assumed that she had to do her 'business.' At that time, the bonfire was already burned out, so they'd all gone to the hideout to sleep. As soon as his head had hit the bearskin, Ranma had fallen asleep.  
  
"Akane?" he said to his left. He didn't sense anyone breathing. After hesitating, he stuck out a hand and his arm came across nothing.  
  
"She's not here," Shampooe's voice floated from her bed. Ranma stiffened.  
  
"Do you know where Akane went?" Ranma asked sharply.  
  
A moment of silence passed. Shampooe's voice came hesitantly.  
  
"No I don't," she said. "She'll be back in the morning." Ranma was silent. In her bed, Shampooe closed her eyes. She knew the truth. Akane wasn't coming back. Tink had specifically asked her and Ukyoe to keep Ranma busy so that she could lure Akane away without anyone noticing. It was the perfect plan. With Akane gone, both Peter and Ranma were free for the taking.  
  
'That annoying Akane Tendou is in the Jolly Roger now,' Shampooe thought to herself in an amused manner. Ukyoe knew, too, that Akane was in the mercy of someone named Captain Hook. After all, they'd both been part of the scheme.  
  
============================================  
  
Akane came to slowly. Her head was pounding with a vicious headache. She was in a very cramped up cabin room, at least, she assumed that was what it was. It was four feet wide and only six feet long. Four and a half feet tall, from what she could feel with her hands. She was lying down on a built-in wooden platform covered with a blanket that was clearly meant for a bed. There was no window. The room was pitch black.  
  
Akane hesitantly staggered to her feet, and nearly bumped her head on the extremely low ceiling. Her feet swayed underneath her with the waves. With a start, she realized that they might be at sea.  
  
She groped around the sides of the room until her hand came in contact with something that might be a doorknob. Flinging it open, she was surprised to discover that it was unlocked. She was in a narrow wooden hallway, the steerage. On one end, there was a short flight of stairs bathed in sunlight. Akane made towards the shallow steps.  
  
The sunlight burned her eyes and made her squint. Momentarily, she was blinded. When she could finally see, she saw that the crewmembers were watching her warily. They were only four all in all.  
  
"Captain Hook wants to see you," a voice suddenly broke in from her side. She turned to see a short fat man wearing round-rimmed glasses.  
  
"I'm Shmee," the man said. "I'm the first mate of this ship." He gestured towards the crewmembers. "There were nine crewmembers in the beginning," he said cheerfully. Akane fairly shuddered. She now saw that they were indeed in the middle of the ocean. The island from which they had come from was now a mere speck in the distance.  
  
"Come along," Shmee said. He gestured towards Akane. There was nothing she could do but follow. At least she wasn't hand-tied.  
  
They went into the cabin, where Captain Hook was staying. Akane looked around. Compared to the little rat hole she had just come from, this was a suite. The walls were papered with lush red wallpaper with gold emphasis. The floor was covered with a red carpet of the same color. The table in the center was hardwood oak, with delicate carvings of sea creatures at the sides. Hook was sitting at one end of the table, heaps of food set before him.  
  
"Ah, there you are," Hook said. He beckoned Akane closer with a wave of his hook for a hand. Akane stood her ground, gathering her courage.  
  
"Why am I here?" Akane asked sharply. Her hands formed into fists at her sides. Shmee hurriedly left the cabin before all hell broke loose. Hook gave her an amused look.  
  
"Guess," said Hook. Akane glared at him. She took a step closer towards the table and raised her fist menacingly. By this time, her head had stopped throbbing, and all she wanted to do was bash the leering captain in the head.  
  
"Ah- ah- ah," Hook suddenly said. With amazing speed, his good left hand went into his shirtsleeve and pulled out a pistol from the ruffles. He then brought it forward, slamming it onto the table, and simultaneously cocking it. It crashed onto the table with such a force that the platters jumped.  
  
Hook leered. His left hand lay on the pistol, finger on the trigger. The pistol was pointed in Akane's direction. Akane froze, suddenly unable to move.  
  
"Well," Hook said. "Your purpose here is done. Your little friend Peter knows that you're here. He'll be here anytime soon."  
  
Hook's eyes gleamed with delight at the thought of Peter dying. Akane gulped. Hook sighed, and took his hand off the pistol. Instead, he rearranged his shirttail and gave a patronizing gesture to Akane.  
  
"In other words," Hook said patiently to Akane's dumbfounded face. "I can kill you now without losing anything. In fact..."  
  
Hook's hand snapped to the pistol. Akane sputtered to life.  
  
"Wait," she said, holding her hands in the air. "Let me become a crewmember!"  
  
Hook looked at her incredulously.  
  
"A girl, become a crew member?" he spat. Akane swallowed and willed her mouth to move.  
  
"Y-You're lacking crewmembers," she said. "If I become a member of the crew then you can't-"she couldn't bring herself to say: 'kill me.' Instead, she said: "If I become a member of the crew, then you can't shoot."  
  
Hook seemed to consider this. His hand left the pistol and he stroked his curly black beard.  
  
"Okay," he finally said. "If you get those bums outside to accept you into the crew, then you'll live."  
  
He waved her away with a flick of his wrist. Only when Akane had closed the door of the cabin did she allow her annoyance to show. She wanted desperately to hit him. But at the moment, there were more pressing issues, like her life. She looked around. Shmee was standing outside the door.  
  
"Well?" Shmee asked, fully expecting a request from Captain Hook to throw the girl off the side of the ship.  
  
"I'm going to join the crew," Akane said. Shmee simply stared at her, his jaw slack. Then he took a whistle from hanging from a string around his neck and blew into it. The shrill noise seemed to be in tune to Akane's desperation at the moment.  
  
Immediately, the four crewmembers came on the waist of the ship, looking tired and haggard from the continuous shifts and lack of sleep. Shmee asked them to introduce themselves.  
  
"Fin."  
  
"Harry."  
  
"George."  
  
"Robin."  
  
After they did this, Shmee turned to Akane.  
  
"Go on," he told her. "Tell them what they've been called for."  
  
Akane stepped forward and threw her chin up in a prideful stance.  
  
"I'm going to join the crew."  
  
Immediately, the four bronze men looked at each other and laughed. Fin stepped forward. He was a blond man in his late thirties, grimy from head to toe.  
  
"There's no way a girl's joining our crew," he said brusquely. From behind him, the other crewmembers gave their own hoots of agreement. Akane felt her palms start to sweat. Hook was behind the door just a few feet away. He'd hear everything.  
  
"It's bad enough there's a girl onboard," Harry cut in. He was a short, bald man of forty. It seemed that every inch of him was covered in tattoos. "You know what I say?" he asked. Akane took an involuntary step backwards as spat on deck.  
  
"Let her walk the plank!" George cut in happily. He was a tall, thin twenty something year old. He raised his fist and pumped it in the air. Soon, Akane realized that the plank was something special to these pirates. Even Shmee seemed to be getting enthusiastic about the idea.  
  
Harry even started to go for the side of the boat where she'd be walking off. Akane started to brace herself in attacking position. She didn't know how many of these men had pistols, but she'd rather kill herself than submit willingly.  
  
"Stop!" Came a sudden voice. It was Robin, a healthy man in his early thirties. He had one glass eye, which popped out slightly. With his one good eye, he looked at Akane.  
  
"If there's one thing we sailors love more than a person walking the plank," he started. "It's watching someone squirm. The ball is in your court. Give us an offer we can't refuse."  
  
Akane saw that the other crewmembers were practically holding their breaths. She realized that they held some sort of respect for the headstrong Robin. She stepped forward, trying to be brave. She glanced around the ship, and her eyes fell on the lowest of the sails on the main mast: the lower-main topsail. It was only a few tens of feet into the air.  
  
"I'll climb that," she said, pointing to the sail. "If I reach that top end of it, then I'm part of the crew."  
  
Robin barely batted an eyelash when he took a look at it.  
  
"That's child's play," Robin scoffed. He considered her. "Climb the main royal yard."  
  
Akane looked to where he was pointed, and her jaw dropped. The swaying motion of the ship only made her feel more sickened. Robin was pointing to a sail that was at least one hundred thirty feet into the air. The top seemed very far away from where Akane stood.  
  
She felt the crew's eyes on her. She was certain Harry was gloating. If she fell down from the climb, she hoped she'd fall into the ocean. Otherwise, she'd crash onto deck. Her skin prickled at the thought of that.  
  
"It's now or never," Robin said, barely concealing his amusement. It had been so long since someone walked the plank. Part of him hoped the girl would back out. He motioned towards the mast. "Climb up the shrouds using the ratlines as your ladder."  
  
Akane looked towards the rope ladder and nodded. She built up her courage and marched up to it. The crew stood at the base of the mast, muttering how bad luck would come their way while a girl was aboard.  
  
"The mast tilts some," on of the crewmembers said. Akane didn't even turn. She just grabbed the ratline with her hands and started to climb.  
  
The first ten feet or so were okay. It was something like wall climbing. But as Akane reached a point ten feet from the base, she understood that the further she went, the more prominent could she feel the tilting of the ship. She resisted the urge to throw up.  
  
When she reached the end of the first sail, she realized something. The rope ladders were in four separate sets, like the sails. So what she had to do when she reached the end of one ratline was that she had to actually reach out before her to get to the next set of ratline.  
  
The second set of rope ladder was around two feet away from where she clung desperately twenty feet from the ship. For a grown man, he would have been able to grasp the other rope ladder easily, but Akane found that her arm was short of some inches.  
  
So she wedged out her foot, trying not to look down or up. Her focus remained on her leg reaching out slowly, carefully... Her foot hooked around the first rung. She used her foot to bring the rope ladder closer. She took it and continued to climb, looking only at her hands before her and concentrating on putting one hand on top of the other.  
  
And the ship continued to sway and dip. Akane's hands grew slippery as she climbed higher. The air was growing thinner as she ascended. She reached the end of the second rope ladder and started a grab for the third set. Then the ship bobbed below, and Akane's world reeled.  
  
Only then did Akane realize the idiocy of her actions. She would never reach the top without falling and breaking her neck! She'd sent herself to her death! But the thought of dying anyway by walking the plank made her continue.  
  
There were about thirty more feet for her to continue. What seemed like gentle breezes on deck were actually cruel gusts of wind up high. Akane still refused to look down. She finally reached the final set of ropes.  
  
The final ascent was the worst of all the climbs. With each rung, the rocking of the mast seemed to increase. It seemed her world was being tossed to the right and left back and forth every few seconds.  
  
At last, she reached out with violently trembling fingers and touched the spar of the main royal yard. She had reached the top. She had to get down. Glancing down, she immediately wished she hadn't. The ship seemed like a small tiny bug. The ocean was a huge space to which had no end. She could even see the island, about the size of a fly.  
  
Akane hastily put a random foot downwards for the lower rung, and realized with utter terror that the trip down was going to be even harder. She couldn't see where she was going unless she looked down.  
  
She clung to the ropes, a strange sight. She was a young girl in her pajamas climbing the highest mast on the ship. Though she tried to stop herself, Akane started to cry tears of frustration and horror.  
  
'Ranma!' she thought desperately.  
  
============================================  
  
"The mermaids say that she's aboard the Jolly Roger," Peter told the Lost Friends. They were in the underground hideout in a circle on the dirt floor. Ranma started.  
  
"How do I get to the Jolly Roger?" Ranma asked sharply. He had already stood up and was flexing his arms. Peter merely looked at him, unimpressed.  
  
"Relax," Peter said. "All of you stay here, and I'll rescue Akane. If you come, you'll just get in my way."  
  
Ranma glared at him. "I won't fall behind," he said through clenched teeth. The two considered each other for a moment. Ranma, the Saotome heir and martial artist, and Peter Pan, the yeti-costume boy with the adolescent complex.  
  
Then Ryogae stepped forward, his thoughts on rescuing Akane.  
  
"I'm coming too," he declared to Peter and Ranma.  
  
"Fine," Peter said finally, and grinned. His grin was met by Ranma's grim look. "I'll go find you some fairy dust."  
  
============================================  
  
Akane stepped back onto the deck, nauseated and sickened, but extremely proud at the same time. The crewmembers looked at her, clearly at loss for words yet fully impressed. Akane had turned around to face them, and was proud of herself.  
  
"Well," Robin said, being the first to recover from his initial shock. "So you're part of the crew. Welcome to the Jolly Roger."  
  
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END CHAPTER THREE  
  
PLEASE REVIEW MY WORK AFTER EVERY CHAPTER IF POSSIBLE SO THAT I CAN IMPROVE IT. IT WOULD MEAN A LOT TO ME IF YOU'D TAKE TIME TO COMMENT ON MY WORK. YOU CAN ALSO E-MAIL ME PERSONALLY IF YOU WANT...  
  
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	4. On This Pirate Ship

Disclaimer: The characters of Ranma ½ belong to Rumiko Takahashi. The original plot of the children's story Peter Pan belongs to JM Barrie.  
  
Please review this story! It's been a long time since I thought to make a fanfic on any anime, so I hope you enjoy this...  
  
============================================  
  
Welcome to Jolly Roger was what Robin had said, but Akane saw no sign of friendship or loyalty. Her initial pleasure at proving to the crew that she could do their initiation dare was quickly squashed. She soon came to realize that now that she'd proven herself, the crew was doubly determined to bring her down.  
  
She had entered the crew around eight in the morning, on the morning watch. She'd been assigned to scrub the deck. It was harder than she initially thought. Back at the dojo, Kasumi did most, if not all, of the cleaning.  
  
On the boat, the sun was beating unrelentingly on her back and head, the bristles on the scrubbing brush were as hard as porcupine pins, and the soapy water she was using was already dirty and foul-smelling. She didn't want to think about what the water had been through.  
  
The crew was working around the ship, some at the helm and another checking the rigging, but Akane could feel them watching for her to make a mistake. If she were to stop, or show any sign of resentment for her task, they'd gladly take it as a sign of retaliation. Which meant they could then throw her overboard.  
  
Akane had no doubt they'd be more than happy to do that, just for the fun of it.  
  
It was after she'd been scrubbing away at the vast deck for two and a half straight hours when Captain Hook thought to come out of his cabin. By that time, Akane's arms literally felt like rubber and her back and knees were giving out on their own accord. When Hook came, she took the blessed opportunity to use his arrival as an excuse to stop.  
  
As soon as Hook came on deck, Shmee rushed in from out of nowhere and started groveling at Hook's feet. After conferring for a while, Shmee suddenly turned to face Akane's direction. She stiffened immediately, her hands still on the scrub.  
  
"Akane Tendou, come here," Shmee said in an imperative voice. He stood straight, looking important beside Hook. "Our Captain would like to have a word with you."  
  
Akane stood up right away, all too happy to leave her task. Her legs wobbled below her, but she stood upright quickly. The swaying of the ship didn't bother her much anymore. She'd found-what the crewmembers called- her sea legs.  
  
Akane stood before Hook, all too aware of her scraggly appearance. Her pajamas were so stained and dirty that they no longer looked yellow. Her hair, uncombed for days, must have had the appearance of a tangled mop.  
  
"Pan is coming," Hook informed her. Akane smiled before she could stop herself. Hook's expression hardened. "I can feel it," he said.  
  
"Oh," was all Akane managed. She wondered if Ranma would be coming as well. Then she remembered their argument the last time they'd talked, and her heart sank. Her lifted spirits at the thought of seeing Ranma quickly deflated.  
  
"I have a plan," Hook said, his eyes lighting up with malice.  
  
He hadn't even finished telling her his plan, and already, Akane didn't like where the conversation was going.  
  
"I have to finish my job," she said aloud, before he could say anything. Hook stiffened. Shmee held his breath. Akane wanted to kill herself for talking back without thinking.  
  
"I'M the Captain," Hook said emphatically. "What job? I assign you to the galley. You'll be locked there, peeling potatoes, until it's time for you to serve us our dinner."  
  
"In other words, you're the new cook," Shmee said helpfully  
  
Akane opened her mouth to protest, but she saw Shmee waving his hand in front of his face in a wild gesture. Don't say anything if you want to stay alive. He stood a little behind his Captain, so that Hook didn't see him. Akane gritted her teeth. After all she'd gone through-!  
  
"Now, what was I saying?" Hook asked pleasantly.  
  
============================================  
  
The crew of Jolly Roger gathered around the side of the boat, in a huddle. They were on the lookout for a sign. Hook had told them in very severe language that they were to wait for a special someone to appear in the sky. The crew had known better than to mention Peter Pan's name.  
  
George, Robin, Harry and Fin lounged around the bundled hammock around them. It was bulky and had the size of a tall child's body. It was the main prop for Hook's grand scheme. It was filled with old, rusted armor and weapons that were of no value in battlefield or market.  
  
Harry's bald head shone with sweat as the heat of the sun intensified. He was absently sticking his dagger into the hammock. Fin was sharpening his blade using a limestone, bored beyond reason. George and Robin were on lookout.  
  
It was a little past noon, when they were usually the busiest securing the sails and clearing the deck. But Hook had insisted. Hook had said that appearance was everything. So they had to look like they were in the middle of something by the time Pan came. Half an hour later, they doubted whether or not Peter Pan would show. They had little faith in the words of their Captain.  
  
But finally, though, after another fifteen minutes or so, what they were waiting for came. At first, there were two small specks in the distance, and George had to squint through the telescope. When the figures neared, George nudged his crewmates and cocked his head in the direction of the specks.  
  
The four stood up immediately and started to cheer. The loud cheer was a signal for Captain Hook to know that Peter Pan was approaching. After cheering sufficiently, Fin looked up to make sure that Peter was close enough to see what they were doing. He took his sword and lifted it his in the air before the hammock...  
  
============================================  
  
"Oh, look," Peter said. He, Ranma and Ryogae were gliding through the air towards the Jolly Roger. The sky was clear and the sun shone brightly. It was a lovely day. Ranma looked to where Peter pointed. "Hook killed another one of his crew."  
  
Peter said it in an amused tone. Hook always found reason to kill his crewmembers. As a result there were only four left, and they were slow and haggard and lacking in sleep and food.  
  
Ranma's felt dread overtake him. But there were still four crewmembers. If Hook had killed one, there would only be three, obviously. He saw one of the pirates lift his blade up in the air... Ranma rushed to quicken his speed by making his body compact and keeping his body rigid.  
  
But his efforts proved futile. With a flourish and great yell, the blond sailor struck down and plunged his sword into the hammock. For a moment, Ranma felt his heart literally stop beating.  
  
He watched the four pirates kick the bundle overboard. Ranma rushed through the air and shot straight into the ocean. Ryogae landed on the stern, and stood facing the four pirates, all holding swords menacingly.  
  
Peter made his way on deck, where Hook waited, his hook for a hand gleaming in the sunlight. Peter hovered in the air.  
  
"Who did you kill this time, Hook?" Peter asked, grinning. He crossed his arms mid-air and smirked at Hook, who was watching him with unconcealed envy.  
  
"Stupid boy," Hook spat. "I killed your precious Akane and threw her overboard!"  
  
Peter's grin wavered uncertainly. Hook smiled to himself. How like a young boy to believe everything he said. It was something children were cursed with: the ability to believe everything told to them by an adult.  
  
"She's dead!" Hook shouted with much certainty. "I cut her throat myself!"  
  
Peter started to kick in the air. Would happy thoughts bring him down? He had no unhappy thoughts! Yet...he thought about the lovely Akane Tendou lying in her watery grave in the ocean...  
  
Peter fell to the deck. Unused to falling, he landed unsteadily on his feet, at the same time, brandishing his short sword. Hook charged in.  
  
============================================  
  
Akane Tendou gripped the kitchen knife with her two hands and tried again to hack away at the door or the kitchen. It seemed futile. Akane had heard the leaving crewmember slide in the bolts to secure her captivity.  
  
Suddenly, the Akane heard the bolt slide away. She kept her hand on the knife, holding it poised above hear head. She was more skilled at hand- to-hand combat, but she knew for a fact that the pirates were fond of using blades.  
  
The door slid open...  
  
============================================  
  
Girl-Ranma swam desperately underneath the ship. He'd lost sight of the overthrown hammock a long time ago. He was just swimming in desperation, circling for what seemed like hours. The ocean was so deep that there was pitch-blackness in one area, where the hammock had gone. Ranma had tried to pursue it, but the water pressure prevented him from going any further.  
  
Finally, Ranma resurfaced on the side of the ship, where a net was cast out to catch fish. He grabbed onto the net. He was breathing heavily as the water rose and fell around him. His eyes had a slightly wild look. Vaguely, he heard the clanging of swords coming from the deck. He didn't care.  
  
Ranma laid his head on the crook of his arm. Frustrated tears burned below his eyelids. All he could think about was how he'd just looked on as a pirate stabbed Akane. As he made a last valiant effort to bring himself together, he noted with not much interest that Peter had howled in pain.  
  
Faintly, as if coming from a far off distance, Ranma heard Ryogae swearing and losing the fight against four armed men attacking from him at all sides. He was dimly aware of Hook's malicious laugh drifting through the breeze. He remembered what he'd once said to Akane when she was down: "You're actually feel like crying? How like a girl."  
  
Ranma closed his eyes. Then he started to cry.  
  
============================================  
  
"Tink!" Akane could not conceal her surprise. Tink was hovering in the doorway before the open door, looking extremely worried. She was mouthing Peter's name.  
  
"Why, what's with Peter?" Akane asked, concerned. Without even waiting for the fairy to reply, Akane ran through the steerage and onto deck. Immediately, she saw the chaos. Ryogae was barely keeping up with the four crewmembers, but the worst situation was that of Hook and Peter. Peter was on the deck, about to be skewered by Hook's claw.  
  
Without a second thought, Akane gave a shout and rammed herself against Hook. Hardly expecting an attack, Hook fell heavily to the side. His eyes widened in rage and surprise as he saw Akane Tendou standing before him, puffing.  
  
"Are you alright?" Akane asked Peter. She noted the gash in his left arm. But he nodded so confidently that she felt her concern ooze away.  
  
"You're alive!" Peter exclaimed happily. He smiled at her, and then looked at Hook accusingly.  
  
"You lied to me!" He said, in the same way only a kid could tell an adult. Hook growled and started to charge in again.  
  
Quick as a flash, Peter grabbed his fallen short sword and skimmed into the air. But because of the amount of blood he'd lost from his left arm, he couldn't hold himself in the air for too long. He landed back down on the deck, but he was holding his sword with confidence.  
  
Akane stepped back and could only stare as Hook and Peter engaged in a sword battle. When it became apparent that Peter was competent enough to fight against Hook, Akane then rushed off towards Ryogae.  
  
============================================  
  
Ranma lifted his head and strained his ears. From a dark place in his mind, he came back to the present. He thought he'd heard Akane shout out. Of course, it was his imagination.  
  
Of course, he could only have imagined it...  
  
There was no way in hell...  
  
Ranma took a hold of the rope that secured the net to the ship. He started pulling himself up easily.  
  
============================================  
  
He saw her approaching and his weary face broke into a grin. He started punching and kicking with renewed vigor. Akane slipped through the net of four men and stood back-to-back with Ryogae. Together they fought, watching each other's backs.  
  
Akane kicked Fin's sword away, earning herself an appraising glance from Ryoga. Fin looked to where his sword had fallen. While Akane was still reeling from the force of her kick, she saw a movement in the corner of her eye. Her neck snapped to the right to see Harry rushing at her with his dirk in hand. There was no time for her to gain enough momentum to take another kick.  
  
Harry rushed in- and fell back, twisting his arm in agony. Harry fell to his knee. Standing behind Harry and staring at her openly was Ranma, girl form.  
  
"Ranma!" Akane exclaimed. Without a word, he joined her and Ryogae, and the three of them made a quick job of the four men.  
  
The four men scrambled for the lifeboat at the side of the ship. The clamored in, and were joined by Shmee, who was carrying several jewels and necklaces. With a shout, they cut the ropes securing the boat to the ship, and fell off to the side.  
  
"You fools!" Hook shrieked when he saw his crew trying to rush away with his treasure. Hook parried Peter's attacks one by one, but his forty- something year old body wasn't keeping up. With a final cry of pleasure (and obvious bloodlust), Peter gave a swing and sent Hook's sword shimmying across the wooden deck of the Jolly Roger.  
  
Hook held up his hands in surrender. He backed away to the side of the ship...and jumped overboard. Peter, Ranma, Akane and Ryogae all went to the side to watch Hook swim towards the lifeboat where his crew were. They watched the crew paddle away at a faster pace to leave their captain behind.  
  
Tink came flying, and she sprinkled fairy dust all over the four teenagers. They all started to float.  
  
"Wait," Ranma said. "Ryogae, do your Breaking Point Technique on this ship."  
  
Ryogae looked at the red-headed girl before him in shock. He didn't want to ask how she knew about his secret weapon. But he didn't think to ask. He nodded and walked to the waist of the ship, which was only a few feet away. Ranma and the others floated higher away from the ship.  
  
"Breaking poiiiiiinnnnnnntttttt!" Ryoga shouted. With the last word, he brought down his fist and slammed the center of the ship with all his might. For a while, all was still, then the ship groaned and moaned as she split in half, from the center.  
  
Ryogae flew up into the air and rejoined the three. Simultaneously, he and Peter turned to Ranma girl-form and stared at the scantily clad form.  
  
"Who are you?" they asked at the same time.  
  
Ranma glared at them, and Akane tried to conceal her amusement.  
  
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END CHAPTER FOUR  
  
PLEASE REVIEW MY WORK AFTER EVERY CHAPTER IF POSSIBLE SO THAT I CAN IMPROVE IT. IT WOULD MEAN A LOT TO ME IF YOU'D TAKE TIME TO COMMENT ON MY WORK. YOU CAN ALSO E-MAIL ME PERSONALLY IF YOU WANT...  
  
AT: tsinoyeyesyahoo.com 


	5. The Adventure That Was

Disclaimer: The characters of Ranma ½ belong to Rumiko Takahashi. The original plot of the children's story Peter Pan belongs to JM Barrie.  
  
Please review this story! It's been a long time since I thought to make a fanfic on any anime, so I hope you enjoy this...  
  
============================================  
  
"You'll come back to visit, won't you?" Akane Tendou asked Peter as he hovered a few feet away from them. Akane and Ranma were standing side by side on the ledge outside her window, and they watched the young boy float against the backdrop of the moon.  
  
Peter looked into Akane's face and marveled at the beauty of it. He wanted to say yes, but when he looked at Ranma's glowering face, he faltered.  
  
"O-of course," he said. Akane's mouth parted into a slow smile, and Peter could only stare. He felt the corners of his own mouth turn up slowly...  
  
"Good-bye, Peter," Akane said. She gave him a faint wave. Ranma put his hands behind his head and watched Peter look at Akane regretfully. Peter floated away with his arms as paddles, and then smiled full-beam at her.  
  
He waved enthusiastically, and turned, with his back to Akane and Ranma. He flew a few more feet, and looked over his shoulder at the girl he'd come to like very much. Akane's hair shone with the reflected light of the moon, her skin slightly translucent in the dim light. His smile softened... Disappeared completely...  
  
Peter turned to fix his gaze forward and knew Akane and Ranma were watching him. He sped off until he felt they were too far off to see him pause. He lived in Everland, and that was where he belonged.  
  
Peter sighed. Then he continued on the way home, second to the right and straight on until morning.  
  
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They were sitting in Akane's room. They were not yet sure that there was a proper conclusion to their adventure. In a way, the two of them would have wanted their adventure to be longer.  
  
"I thought you were dead," Ranma huffed. He sat cross-legged on the carpeted floor, somewhat surprised at how soft the floor felt compared to his bed in Everland.  
  
"And I thought you didn't come to rescue me," Akane said. She was sitting on her own bed. She fingered her tangled hair. She saw that the clock read three thirty in the morning; she wasn't sure how long they'd been away from home. It seemed like a very long time.  
  
The two of them were silent a moment longer.  
  
Ranma was leaning back on his arms. He looked up at the dark ceiling. They hadn't bothered to turn on the lights. To do so would abruptly put an end to their experience. They wanted to relive the adventure while they still remembered all the details.  
  
Already, Everland was starting to seem like just a dream they'd had.  
  
"Uhm." Akane broke the silence. She stopped playing with her hair and folded her hands in her lap. "Thank you for coming to the Jolly Roger to help Peter and Ryogae."  
  
"It was nothing."  
  
"Oh, so now you're being humble," Akane smirked. She leaned back on her own arms.  
  
"You did a lot, too," Ranma said helpfully. "You fought like a tiger back on the Jolly Roger."  
  
Akane felt the hairs on the back of her neck spring up. Tiger? Was she an animal? Yes, as usual, she was taking things the wrong way. She smirked.  
  
"And you fought like a girl," she said. Well, Ranma had been in girl form. Ranma's neck snapped as he turned to glare at her. She stuck out her tongue.  
  
"You're not cute!" He whispered viciously. Akane started to fume.  
  
"So what!" she hissed. "Idiot!"  
  
Ranma got up to leave the room. When he was at the door, he jerked it open. Without looking back he said:  
  
"Un-cute tomboy!" and slammed the door before she could say anything else.  
  
"Pervert!" Akane shouted back at the door.  
  
Ranma leaned against the doorway in his dirty soiled pajamas. He'd paused outside Akane's door, the word 'pervert' ringing in his ear. But for some reason, it didn't bother him so much. At that moment, it just seemed kind of amusing. Ranma felt himself smile softly.  
  
Akane leaned back in bed in her torn and filthy pajamas. For some reason, the insult of being an un-cute tomboy didn't seem so bad. It even had a nice ring to it. How many un-cute tomboys were there in the world? She was the only one, as far as she was concerned.  
  
And how many arrogant, kind-hearted, good-looking and young martial artists were there in the world? Just one, as much to her knowledge. And he was her fiancé.  
  
Akane felt herself smile softly.  
  
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THE END  
  
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